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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22559386">Promises, Promises</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Multishipperlove/pseuds/Multishipperlove'>Multishipperlove</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Tumblr Prompts [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Critical Role (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Goodbyes, Grief/Mourning, Introspection</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 18:16:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>722</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22559386</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Multishipperlove/pseuds/Multishipperlove</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Keyleth's thoughts on some of the changes that Vax' deal brings with it, right until the end.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Keyleth/Vax'ildan (Critical Role)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Tumblr Prompts [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1623151</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Promises, Promises</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Original Prompt:<br/>an idea if you want to write something angsty: “Goodnight love, I’ll see you in my dreams.” with Keyleth and Vax</p><p>From this list: <a href="https://blissfulparker.tumblr.com/post/189637902863/sleepycozy-prompts">Sleepy/Cozy Prompts 💤✨</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He’d said it the first time they had spend the night together. No, not in that sense, they had just- it had been a rough day, when they’d fought Vorugal. And she’d knocked on his door, hoping for… something. Companionship? Emotional Release? It didn’t matter anymore.</p><p>But whatever it had been, she’d found it that night. And as they’d been lying there, in the dark, the only thing she still felt the slow rise and fall of his chest, he’d held her tight. A promise of safety. And as they’d both slowly drifted off to sleep, he’d whispered it to her for the first time.</p><p>“Goodnight, love. I will see you in my dreams.”</p><p>Now, she understood that as a promise as well. An “I will see you again”. A “Do not go far from me” in it’s own right, spoken so softly and quietly, for her ears alone.</p><p>Every night since, even when they didn’t get to share a room and a bed together, he had renewed that promise. As if it was his way of saying even if we don’t wake up again, even if something terrible happens to us, you will be with me. And that somehow made it bearable.</p><p>Only now, Vax did not sleep anymore.</p><p>He didn’t eat, either. He didn’t need air, or nourishment, no blanket or fire in the night to keep him warm when his body always felt freezing anyway. His words were as gentle as they had ever been, but everything else seemed to have gone cold. There was a constant air of misery around him, as much as he tried to hide it, as much as he pretended he’d come to terms with his fate.</p><p>He wasn’t human anymore. He just was. And when something made sure he wasn’t, he simply came back.</p><p>It frightened Keyleth. She still felt the same for him, that overwhelming sense of love that had pushed her to his door so long ago, that had started all of this in the first place, it was still going strong. But she was loosing him already, despite the fact that he was still there, could see him wasting away right in front of her. Nothing could have hurt more.</p><p>And what she missed the most, was that little promise every night. Now, even when they got the chance to go to sleep together, cuddled close with a blanket between them so his body temperature wouldn’t affect hers, he would simply say “Good night, love.” And she missed nothing more than these few words that had used to follow that statement.</p><p>But what for. Vax didn’t sleep anymore, he didn’t dream. He merely rested, waited for a new day to start so they could continue on their futile little adventure. Seven idiots trying to fight a God, what chance did they have.</p><p>And yet, but a week later, they had managed to do what many had already seen as impossible. They had stopped Vecna, saved the world, and managed to save most of their remaining family along with it.</p><p>Causalities, yes, but no one close to them they weren’t able to bring back.</p><p>Except for one.</p><p>It was… strange. Keyleth almost expected Vax to turn to ashes the moment Vecna was defeated. But apparently not even the Raven Queen was that cruel. Instead they moved on, for a little while, brought back Velora and talked to some of their surviving friends, and even made it as far as the next tavern.</p><p>Not that it mattered. She still came to collect her champion, in the end. For such a final good bye, it was oddly calm. Sure, there were tears, and crying, but there was a sick sense of acceptance that none of them truly dared to disturb, as much as some of them might have wanted to.</p><p>And as Vax came to embrace her, for the very last time, she pressed as close to him as she could. She put every single ounce of strength into that hug that she still possessed, as if failing to do so would mean that both of them would fall apart. They stood there, the seconds ticking by painfully slowly and yet way too fast, and before she let go, she whispered to him.</p><p>“Good night, love. I will see you in my dreams.”</p>
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